It’s called a house. But the vision for the Hasselmann Alumni House is to provide a comfortable place for S&T graduates — more than 52,000 of them — when they come “home” to Rolla.

There won’t be any beds. This isn’t a hotel or a bed and breakfast. But there will be plenty of room for alumni to gather, whether they’re back in Rolla to reconnect with old classmates, celebrate St. Pat’s and Homecoming, or conduct the business of the Miner Alumni Association.

During a discussion about naming opportunities at a director’s meeting of the alumni association, the topic of restrooms and fixtures came up. There were objections because, well, it didn’t seem proper. But Chris Ramsay, MetE’83, MS MetE’85, thought it was a funny idea to dedicate urinals to various people.

Ghassem Ta kemil, Che’77, snapped this photo of his Renault with family members in the Iranian countryside. (Photo submitted)

About five years ago, Ghassem Takmil, ChE’77, reluctantly turned in his 33-year-old French Renault to an Iranian junkyard. The government gave him the equivalent of roughly $1,200 — about what he originally paid for it — to junk the car, under the condition that Takmil purchase a vehicle made in Iran.

Design center students work with high-tech equipment and computer models. But they are also familiar with some of the more conventional trade tools and other stuff associated with making machines. These are just some of the items we found scattered about. Note that it’s nearly impossible to find a full roll of duct tape … (Photo by Bob Phelan)

In the prefabricated metal structure that used to house S&T’s design teams, space heaters kept things relatively warm in the winter. Big fans helped ventilate it in the summer. The place famously had no restroom facilities.

Recently, while deployed in Joplin, Mo., Steve Winters, PetE’83, was reminded of Sept. 11, 2001. “After the tornado,” he says, “the smell of wet concrete dust brought an immediate flashback to the smells in New York.”

John Allen, GGph’42, MinE’47, in his Rolla home … sans scotch. (Photo by B.A. Rupert)

When he eventually made it out of the danger zone that day, John Allen went looking for a British ship — because they had the good scotch. Like many in his generation, he’s reluctant to talk about it. The last thing Allen wants to do is make a big deal about his role in the invasion. “I just happened to be one of the guys who lived through it,” he says.

Greg Wayne, EE’79, co-founded an organization that provides home repair for those in need. (Photo by B.A. Rupert)

Before there was “Extreme Makeover” on national television, the Kansas City area had HopeBUILDERS Home Repair, a volunteer organization that does everything from changing light bulbs to installing wheelchair ramps to whole-house rehabilitations. The group, co-founded by Greg Wayne, EE’79, started as an outreach ministry of a collection of churches in 2000. Volunteers do most of their work on Saturdays.

In 2007, two years after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and three years before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, John Hoffmanstarted Black Elk Energy, an oil company that strives to be eco-friendly.